


Just In Time

by fluffyymoon



Category: Melty Blood (Video Game), Tsukihime (Visual Novel & Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Handholding, Mutual Pining, Oblivious, Slow Burn, but! i'll get it out because i've been writing it for a while, cafe/jazz au, i've had this fic written for such a long time and now i need to actually finish chapter two, these girls are in love! good for them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23440081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffyymoon/pseuds/fluffyymoon
Summary: Jazz Cafe AU. Riesbyfe takes a gig at a cafe that Sion works at. They fall for each other. A lot of coffee is consumed and many jazz songs are played.
Relationships: Sion Eltnam Atlasia/Riesbyfe Stridberg
Kudos: 4





	1. Just in Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I have this fic on fanfiction dot net as well! I fixed it up to post it on here. With that, I hope you enjoy it!

It'd been a long, long Sunday. It was almost painful because of how idle and boring it was. Everything felt like it was moving slowly, from the early summer morning with students, teachers, and workers. Then to the hot afternoon with people on lunch breaks, and more students coming and going. Many of the workers had already left late around noon, but one worker from the morning shift stayed.

Sion Eltnam was a gorgeous young lady with long, beautiful purple hair and lovely red-violet eyes. She had been the only worker from the early hours of the morning that stayed until closing. She didn't mind it, but at times she wished she could sleep.

However, tonight wasn't one of those nights.

She walks around, giving drinks and a variety of snacks to the people waiting, giving a tired smile to them all. She’s about to walk back into the kitchen, when she hears an uproar from the tables. The purple haired girl turned her head to look. Her tired eyes became wide and awake upon seeing a group of people, no more than five, and they were all holding instruments and cases.

It was as if time stopped for her. One lady in particular catches her sights, and she was almost entranced. 

"Ah, she's very beautiful... Her hair looks very shiny and well taken care of.." Was what she was thinking, but her mouth brought those thoughts to reality. Other workers and even some of the customers heard and dismissed it, some looked over and nodded, agreeing quietly. 

However, the lady with the glowing silver hair and soft, blue eyes wasn't really looking pretty at the moment. She was sweating, grunting and complaining to herself about how heavy the case was, but all with a smile.

"Guhhh... I've carried this so many times, for many years... but I still can't get over the weight! I should be used to this... but it feels heavier each time I carry it!!" She groans, quietly, to herself. She did not want the person who gave her the gig to hear and fire her on the spot, or never call her back again.

However, this was Riesbyfe's first gig as a full-time freelance jazz musician. Her nerves had kicked in, and her strong arms felt weak and frail, almost on the verge of breaking. Her legs wanted to fall and lay on the ground, but she couldn't for everything, and it really was everything, was on the line. Her reputation, her status, her rent, food, and her living, relied on this.

Her name is Riesbyfe Stridberg, a bassist who'd been playing for an untold amount of years. An expert at this craft, she possesses amazing skill and grace playing. Well, her fingers and arms did anyway. Riesbyfe's face would make a variety of expressions, ranging from smiles to grimaces, from frowns, to angry, almost ecstatic expressions. All part of the craft, but she really could play! 

Once all the members were inside the building and led to an area where they could put down their instrument cases, Ries looked around the cafe. People were chatting, workers working, but one was staring at her, and she caught her looking. Her mouth opens slightly, blush creeps onto her cheeks, and her eyes widen. She closes her mouth and swallows, then smiles at the lady quickly before opening the case. 

Even so, she continued to sneak glances without her noticing. 

Sion, now feeling rejuvenated after seeing such a beautiful woman, returned to work immediately, taking orders and giving the drinks and snacks at a speedy pace. Elegant, yet fast, she wanted to watch Ries play, and so she made sure that everyone got what they wanted quickly. The enamoured girl hoped that no more people would walk in as it began to get closer to the performance time. 

Sion's luck was working for her, as it did slow down, and nearly no one else came in. Almost as if time had stopped, but the only thing that continued to move, were the people in their seats, talking, eating, drinking. All the workers watched in anticipation behind the counter, except for Sion. She goes in front of the counter instead, getting a clear view of Ries.

Riesbyfe on the other hand, had stopped thinking about the purple-haired beauty, and focused on tuning, making sure that she and the others were comfortable. As she places her music on the stand in front of her, she looks up to see Sion close and in front, watching like a child in the middle of witnessing a blissful, perfect dream. 

Her small, romantic moment was cut short, for the leader called to each of them to make sure they had each other's attention.

Snap.

"One.." Snap.

"Two.." Snap, snap.

"A-One.. Two.. Three.. Four.."

Ries and two others came in playing strong, and focused. They played at a moderately fast swing with a repetitive and catchy pattern. No more than three seconds, which felt eternal, the singer came in. A sweet and broad voice filled the room, and everyone's attention was taken by them. Singing about 'Avalon' and love, the band played away, and the listeners enjoyed themselves, chatting or listening closely. Sion's eyes would occasionally look over to the other members when they stood out whenever the singer wasn't singing. Even so, her eyes always drifted back to Ries.

Her hands, her arms, and even how she moved with the instrument and the music, all captivated Sion. What passion! What joy she was showing, even on such a focused and funny-looking face! Even so, Sion found her facial expressions to be cute and adorable.

Then all at once, everything stopped. All talk came down to a silent hush and everyone ceased to play. All except for the singer and Riesbyfe.

Ries started off loud and proud, and kept it that way. Her face was a look of love and focus, for her eyebrows were creased and she had a small, tight-lipped smile. In the beginning, no more than two seconds before the singer came in, she walked a line, ad-libbing with only the chords before her as the guide. Her arms and hands moved gracefully and light. She continued to walk lines while the singer continued on. Riesbyfe's hands and arms moved throughout the range of the bass, plucking away, making noise.

Everyone watched Ries play in anticipation, and she did play. For three seconds, her left hand roamed the top half of the bass. Her fingers moved and changed positions, creating a beautiful pattern of notes that were descending, ascending, and then repeating. Her right hand plucked hard, her index and middle finger moving swiftly, with incredible grace and power. Even the band members nodded their heads and murmured positive comments. Then, her left hand jumped again, and her body moved with the bass. Now she was really focused, eyebrows smushed together and grimacing, then changing to tight lips, and becoming more relaxed. It continued to move closer and closer to the bottom of the neck, where it met the upper bout. The bass was nearly resting on her shoulder when she jumped back up to the middle of the arm of the bass, with her own arm followed by her wrist in succession. For the next four seconds, she played another pattern, still walking. However, Riesbyfe's left hand didn't move around the arm as much as seconds ago. She continued to keep the time while impressing everyone with her skills and expertise on the chords, even if the audience didn't know any of that.

Even though Sion was captivated already, she became even more so when nearly everything went quiet. Each time Ries moved, she moved as well. Leaning forward as if she was trying to get more information out of her. She could feel the energy that the bassist was extruding. 

  
  


As the duet was about to come to a close, and the limelight on Ries would end soon, her arm and hand, with haste, made its way back to the bottom of the neck. She plays a specific, catchy pattern, and the sound made with her hands was truly bliss for the ears of everyone listening. The audience was completely hypnotized by her skill and expertise. As she began the last few seconds of the duo’s moment, pressure could be felt across the whole building.

‘One, three, two, four, three, five, four, six─’

  
  


That was all Riesbyfe thought in the last few seconds of her special moment. Her left resumed to the middle of the neck. She gave the biggest smile that the whole room could see, and everyone cheered, yelled, and clapped for her.

While everyone had been cheering, Sion looked at her in awe and admiration, her heart completely taken by the player. She released her breath, never realizing that she was holding it. For the rest of the time during the whole gig, she sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the close up view she had of the most beautiful woman in the world. 

That ‘most beautiful woman in the world’ felt the exact same about the cafe worker in front of her too.

  
  


After two hours, the love-struck Sion returned to the counter and resumed working. However, Manager-chan stopped Sion in the midst of her tracks, and handed her a plate with drinks on them.

“Here you go, Miss Eltnam~. I noticed that you were watching… So I’ll let you hang around them for a bit longer.” She speaks to her like a cat, and her smile only makes it more convincing.

“Oh, alright then. I’ll give it to them immediately.... Thank you, Manager… I─”

“Oh don’t sweat it! You’re a young woman, go have fun, I don’t mind… I guess… but go!” As soon as she finishes her sentence, Sion is pushed out into the open and walks over to the group. Each of the members give their thanks to her, and they resume chatting. However, she couldn’t find Riesbyfe. Sion looks around quickly, but a member taps her shoulder.

“If you are looking for Riesbyfe, she went to the counter to look for someone.” They point to the counter, and Ries is there, looking anxiously for Sion.

“Thank you for telling me.” She walks off in haste, anxious, yet giddy. As she draws closer to the woman of her interest, her heart beats faster. She takes every little thing she is doing, and begins to overanalyze it all. That focus is broken quickly, for Ries turns over, and smiles at the cafe girl.

“O-Oh! Hey.. uh.. What’s your name, beautiful lady?” The bassist looks up from her seat with eyes of curiosity, and thoughts full of love.

“M-My name is Sion Eltnam. What’s yours, miss?” Completely off guard from her sudden compliment, which was a horrible attempt at flirting on her part, she blushed. Her hands were still holding the drink, which Ries noticed.

“Ah, let me take that… I’m Riesbyfe Stridberg, it’s nice to meet you, Sion… That’s a really pretty name, just like you, did you know that?” She takes the cup with both of her tired, trembling hands, and holds it for a bit. Then, she puts it to her lips and drinks carefully, savouring it.

“This is really good! Who made this?” She looks at the girl standing before her with sparkles in her eyes.

‘My name is pretty... like me..? I’ve never heard that before.. It makes me feel all nice and warm..’ For a brief period of time, she spaces off, thinking about the compliment.

“Oh, my bad, I spaced out. Th-The Manager made the drinks for you and the rest of the band.” She snaps out of the trance she was in. Her hand pulls out a chair and she sits alongside Ries, now even closer to her. Upon this realization, she blushes, but she stays regardless. 

“Wow, please tell them that their drinks are delicious! I’ll come here more…” She stops, and blushes, looking away embarrassed, “To see you more too… I can’t really believe a beautiful person such as you is standing here right now.. I’d have to check a few more times to make sure. Hahahaha..” She gives a small laugh at the end, looking at Sion. Her arms stretch out over the counter towards Sion, closing a small distance between them. 

However, the distance returned to how it was, for her arms folded back under the table. She was hiding her hands, her shaking, string-marked hands from playing really hard from the past few hours. Sion noticed this, and felt concerned, so she asked.

“Riesbyfe, your hands? Are they alright?” She inches closer to her, completely ignoring that their noses were nearly touching. To Sion, she was more concerned over why the bassist was hiding her hands rather than their current distance.

“Huh, ooh.. D-Don't worry about it, I'm alright! Yeah I'm fine, I'm fine!” Ries puts up her hands as a gesture to not worry, but it exposes her shaky hands completely. She tries to hide them under the counter again, but Sion's hands were faster. Her hands were being held by the others, and a blush crept onto her face.

“... They're shaking, and there are markings all over your fingers… They feel very rough.. Why?” Sion asks, her fingers rubbing the others hand in a circle, almost massaging it. She wanted to get a feel, since a bassist's hands are different from a cafe worker's hands. Her fingers continued to feel the others, from her palm, to the tips of Ries’ fingers.

‘Her hands aren't as soft as I thought.. but they aren't rough like mine… It feels nice.. W-Wait..!’ Ries loses her focus for a few seconds, but returns to the current situation at hand.

“S-Sion.. Well, you see.. The amp wasn't working, so I had to pull at it much harder. It's supposed to make me more present, which makes it easier for my hands. As I said before though…” Riesbyfe's hands then held Sion's, and she continued speaking.

“I have to pull harder, and it begins to mark my fingers, and it hurts my hands and wrist as a result. That's why they feel like this… It feels disgusting, hm?” Her gaze goes to the ground, expecting Sion's hands to retract back to her side and be grossed out. 

Instead, her hands squeeze Ries’ hands back, and her fingers intertwine with the other's.

“Well, it's not your fault… and they aren't gross. You take care of them well, I can tell that much…” Sion had wanted to say something else, but nothing came to mind. 

Ries was moved by Sion's words, and smiled softly, looking right into her eyes. The bassist's hands are soon removed from her own, and she takes out a small notebook. She rips out a piece of paper, and writes on it. Sion looks over curiously, wondering what she could be writing. Then, her hands are taken in again, and a paper appears in her palm.

“Call me. Or text me, I don't mind either one. I have to leave now.. It was nice meeting you, Miss Sion Eltnam.” Riesbyfe gets up from her seat, smiles at Sion, and turns around to grab her belongings, and leave. 

“... I will, Riesbyfe.. I will..” Sion sits there, looking at the back of the one she loved, in a love-struck daze. Her gaze was only on the others until she left, closing the door. Though, Ries turned around one last time, winked, stuck her tongue out and gave a ‘call me’ sign with her free hand.

With that, Sion stood up, and resumed work, hastily stuffing the paper into her shirt. It was almost as if nothing happened moments before, like a dream.

  
  


A few hours later, she went home, absolutely tired. She was tired and happy, for she met what one would call, ‘the love of her life’. Even if before this fateful Sunday she never believed in ‘love at first sight’ or any of that wishy-washy stuff, she did now. 

Sion enters the bathroom, humming the first song from the set. She slowly undoes her braids, bit by bit. She takes off the minimal amount of makeup she has, and rubs her eyeliner off.

She jumps onto the bed, and reaches into her shirt to find the paper. A cold sweat runs through her whole body.

She can't find it. The paper with the number was missing.

After twenty minutes of searching for the paper with the lady’s number, Sion flops onto her bed, heartbroken. She thinks to herself that she should have been more careful, more attentive, and that she should have placed it in a more secure area.

“... But it's been done. I can't turn back time.” She murmured to herself and fell asleep, hoping that they could cross paths once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, this never happens at gigs. Never. This is fiction, please don't actually try this.  
> So, this fic... I left alone for a while... but I want to - and I will - continue it, because I've been playing a lot of Melty Blood recently. I also want more RIes/Sion content, because it is lacking. I might make this fic a priority, because there's a lot of Fate/ stuff as it is, and little to nothing for Melty Blood!! So, I want to change that, chapter by chapter. I hope you all can join me on this long journey!


	2. Passion Flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to a little bit of luck, Riesbyfe and Sion cross paths once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm so sorry for taking so long, I didn't think school would be so cruel ;;. But that's ok! I did it, so please enjoy :) (Happy one year since I wrote this actually! Sorry for taking a... year...)

Almost the whole summer passed since the fateful meeting between the two women. Sion lost the number of Ries, and she was beyond devastated. The very night she felt love, she also felt loss. The saddened cafe worker couldn't sleep much, and work didn't feel as nice as the other days.

All she wanted to see was the face of the girl she'd fallen in love with. To hold the rough hands and slender fingers of Ries, and tell her how she felt. All she wanted to do was get lost into her hazy blue eyes. However, luck was not on Sion's side. For weeks nothing happened, and the band never came by since then.

Sion wasn't the only one though, as Riesbyfe was just as distraught. The bassist waited, and waited, and waited, but never got a call or text from the cafe worker. She thought to herself that maybe she'd made a mistake, or that Sion may have decided not to contact her.

One evening, as Ries finished her practice for the day, she received a call. This surprised her. Gently placing her bass down, she picks up the phone.

"Good evening, Riesbyfe. I called you because I'd like for you to come and gig with my group again." The caller that asked was someone she worked with before. It was also the same group that performed at the cafe where she’d fallen for Sion as well. This was a win for Riesbyfe. 

Surprised, she responds, "Oh, I'd love to! Where and when is the gig? Will there be any practices prior?" as she fired her questions in rapid succession, not wanting to be scrambling like last time. 

He tells her, "We will be rehearsing at the Ahnenerbe Cafe, two days before next Friday afternoon. Call time for both practices are at 12pm. The practice before the gig is 1pm on Friday. We perform at 8pm, and it'll end around 11pm. We'll pay you $300... food is given by the cafe...", and as he goes on about the smaller details, Ries grows a big smile on her face as she paces around her practice room, beyond ecstatic. 

"Alright, I look forward to this gig, thank you so much for contacting me. Have a nice day, sir!" Her voice unsteady from her excitement, she thanks him.

"Of course, thank you for being available. I'll see you next Friday." Politely, he speaks in a calm manner, and hangs up.

"Alright! I can finally afford to buy some food! I can save for rent!" She cheers happily, and stops. Ries sighs, and looks back at her bass, smiling softly.

"... I can see her again too... Ahhh, this is going to be great! This is exciting!" Running over to her laid bass and putting it away, she murmurs to herself happily. As she hoisted the neck of the case on her shoulders, the body held by her hands, Ries waddled over to a corner in her room, gently placing it and making sure it wouldn't fall over.

Though, after a bit of thinking, she takes it back and practices until she can’t move her hands. Her excitement could only be satiated by playing until she dropped. Strong and deep notes could be heard throughout her little home, and each one was filled with joy.

* * *

Between the day of the gig, and the practices, both Riesbyfe and Sion wishfully dreamed of meeting each other again. Sion happened to hear about the same band coming to their cafe again, thanks to her manager. Her reaction was considered out of character by her co-workers, but after realizing the outburst, the cafe worker coughed awkwardly and contained herself. Her reaction was similar to a child being told that they could pick whatever toy they wanted. Despite hiding it and dismissing her love as just ‘liking the band and happening to get along with one of the members’, Sion was genuinely looking forward to the performance and seeing Riesbyfe once more. 

From one practice to the next, Riesbyfe worked hard each day. To the bassist though, she practiced to improve each day, and there was more to it than just ‘to impress that cute cafe worker’ for her. Jazz was a permanently changing form of art, and to stop for one day was to miss many moments of learning. She’d stumbled through hell and back, all the while dealing with a variety of people: eccentric and kind people, competitive and manipulative people, and meek members, who never got far enough. For Ries, jazz was what gave her own life meaning. Being able to give a sliver of hope for those who gave up, something to listen to, and to become a source of comfort and excitement was the ultimate goal. In other words, to spread jazz and open peoples eyes to it. This was something that the bassist kept in mind since she started freelancing, and it was a harsh truth that she faced every day. In a sense, it could also be a philosophy of her’s that she follows to a tee. 

The day before the gig was another rehearsal. “Good work today. Remember, tomorrow is our gig, and call time is at 1pm, sharp. Come dressed here, and rehearse until 4pm. From there, we’ll head to the cafe, prepare and warm up a bit, relax. The place is very nice, and the walls won’t cause noise to bounce off. But please, don’t go blasting, because it isn’t very spacious like our other venues.” Giving a curt and simple schedule of the day, the lead sax player looks at each of the members, waiting for any sudden questions. One hand was raised.

“What is the order of our set? And is the amp fully functioning?” Riesbyfe asks as she raises her hand, and the lead gladly answers her. 

After knowing the order and feeling less anxious about the amp, everyone packed up and went towards their destination, be it home, another job, or a place to relax. The bassist goes straight home, and instead of shedding even more, she lays in bed. Daydreaming while looking up at the ceiling, the thoughts that she stuffed down before practice surface back up and she lets them pass. Letting all these thoughts pass was the key to having a clear mind the evening before a gig. As Riesbyfe laid there, she began to feel drowsy, and then fell asleep. 

* * *

As each day passed, the cafe was the same - for the most part. For some unusual reason, the day before the gig, there was a surge of customers. It also happened to be the day where she had a longer shift, and this didn’t bode well. Regardless of the difficulty of dealing with so many people, the worker did her best to persevere, and she did indeed! Sion kept a strong facade right until her shift was over, and she hoped that Manager-chan wouldn’t notice. If she was noticed, she wouldn’t want to worry anyone, as it’d be bad news for her, especially considering that she’s worked at the cafe for a while.

For as long as she worked, Sion was always the ‘smart and cool’ co-worker that they all looked up to, or at the very least, respected. Her geniusness shown during the first few weeks of working was astounding and impressive; it was as if it came naturally to her. Of course, it did come naturally, otherwise she wouldn’t be an Eltnam. 

Her family was very peculiar; Sion doesn’t remember her mother at all, but she’s known her father as long as she could remember. Her father - Zepia - was very eccentric and unusual. At times, he’d teach her things, and other times, he’d babble nonsense to her, and then they’d bicker. They didn’t despise each other, but both family members can’t always see eye to eye all the time; their ideologies were different. In a sense, he taught her what not to do, as he made constant mistakes, and so that’s where she received her ‘near perfect’ habits from. 

“Aahhh, my feet ache. I should take a warm bath and relax, I absolutely need it.” Sion quietly sighed to herself as she began to undo her long braid. After an eternal 3 minutes, she heads into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, the purple haired girl sees that she doesn’t look as bad as she thought. She takes off her makeup, draws the bath, strips, and then she heads in. Giving a long and satisfied sigh, she sinks in a bit.

“This is just what I needed, all according to my calculations…” Her mind relaxed, and she could feel all her stress and pain melt away. Her thoughts drifted to what could happen the following day. Of course, meeting Riesbyfe and apologizing to her for not calling or texting was the first thing on her mind. Afterwards… After that… 

What would they do? What would they talk about? Will Sion even be lucky enough to be able to talk to her? That first time was just her luck, more people might come in and watch, or something might come up within the staff. Sion sinks in even more, holding her breath and groaning. Her terrible habit of overthinking slides in. 

“I think I should sleep now… It’d benefit me more than thinking too much at this point.” 

* * *

That very morning, both Sion and Riesbyfe prepared to see each other again. After quite some time, they could finally cross paths once more. It could be called a stroke of luck, or an unknown force at play. Regardless, these two women felt their hearts beating furiously at the thought of meeting again. Even if their memories of each other's faces weren't as clear as before, the bassist and worker couldn't ever forget their feelings. Ries would never forget when her heart skipped a beat as Sion held her rough, string-marked hands. Sion could never forget how her face flushed a bit as the silver haired woman winked at her. 

They went off to their destinations, to practice and work. Soon, in the slightly cool evening of the fall, Sion and Riesbyfe would meet and talk to each other once again. 

The fact that it would happen so soon felt unreal to both of the girls.

* * *

"Alright, we remember how we're starting the first song right?" Listing each person and what order they'd come in, and then proceeding with the main melody was the plan for the small group. Ries was second to come in, after the drummer and before the extra percussion. The song was a combination of _Duke Ellington_ and _Ella Fitzgerald's_ rendition of Caravan. Riesbyfe didn't stand out much in the song, as she wasn't playing much until the swinging section, but even then, it wasn't much. So, Ries didn't think too hard during the song.

"Good run, just remember…" Listing off what to do and what not to, they begin to move onto the next song. Unlike the first time Riesbyfe played with the group, the songs were slow, and ambient, yet they had a presence unlike the fast and exciting songs that the bassist performed before. 

They went through the rest of the set easily, and so they had some time to spare before heading over. As they’d been at it for some time during the day, all of the members rested their hands - and vocal cords - for the time being, except for Ries. She was debating on whether to go over some parts, but decided not to, since her hands were already marked enough; not even skin tape could help at this point; it’d only hinder her playing. She puts away her instrument and sits beside it, thinking about what’d happen later that day. 

It felt unreal. Meeting Sion again felt unreal… Would they even talk? She won’t know until evening comes, but she hopes that they’ll talk.

* * *

The day felt like a dream, and it all blurred for Sion, and the cafe worker didn’t realize she was supposed to be on break until a coworker tapped her shoulder. Stunned, she heads into the break room, and sits down. The clock ticks, and her eyes gaze towards it.

It was 5:00pm. 

Her leg begins to bounce, but she stops as her hand begins to play with the end of her braid. Sion’s brain begins to overwhelm her with panicked thoughts, and she begins to fiddle around with her braid even more. But before she begins to undo it, Manager-chan taps her shoulder. 

“Heyyy... you doin’ alright?” The cat-like woman asks worriedly. Sion blinks once, processing the question, and gives a response.

“Yes, I’m fine. The time has passed by rather quickly today, hasn’t it?” In turn, Sion poses a question to the manager.

“Yes, it has indeed. Methinks it has to do with tonight.” Giving a wide cat-like smile, she leaves the room. Sion follows soon afterwards, but before that, she checks the clock.

It’s almost 6pm. 

She walks out calmly, and continues to work. Sion awaits for the moment Ries walks through the door. The cafe worker continues to serve, sneaking quick glances to the door. 

As the hour drew close, there was a loud group just outside the door. Having returned to the counter, Sion looks over and watches to see who it is. And that person was the very one she was hoping to see. 

Riesbyfe entered first, followed by the other members. Unlike her sweaty and grimacing self from last time, the bassist looked more professional, and this impressed Sion. 

For a second, the both of them lock eyes, and instantly, the ladies remember their first meeting. Holding hands, and their faces close to one another. Giving the lost number, and leaving with hearts filled with love, joy, and plenty of other feelings one wouldn’t be able to describe in a single word. 

Blushing, the bassist prepares and focuses on what was the first priority to clear her mind. Sion turns and continues to work, occasionally sneaking glances to the silver haired girl. 

After a bit of preparing, the band was ready to perform. Mic checks, done. The amp was working, and the small group was ready. The lead player gives a thumbs up to the manager, and from there, it was all them.

“Thank you all for coming, we appreciate it. Tonight, our first song to open up our set is Caravan.” They look to their drummer. Giving a moderately fast Latin feel, they start off soft and strong. The sticks on the cymbals hitting lightly, and the bass drum booming softly. It echoes throughout the cafe, followed by the sound of Ries plucking rhythmically, filling in wherever needed. Unlike her walking lines and intense solo at her last gig in the cafe, she had a more lax part, and didn’t have the burden of a solo on her shoulders. The silver maiden played freely, and happily covered empty spaces. After a bit, the extra percussion comes in, and then the band breaks the repetitive cycle of the rhythm section. 

The song gives Sion a bit of deja vu, as it reminded her of a desert. She shakes it off and continues her job while listening to the band. Though, she becomes distracted as a small, tiny sound comes from the loud band.

Up on stage, the clarinet’s mic wasn’t working, as it was unplugged from pulling without realizing it. Other members begin to notice, and give panicked looks to each other. The player kept their cool, and fixed it quickly. They were able to be heard properly afterwards, just in time for its solo. The band releases its mental tension, and they relax. 

The trombone came in next, and it transitioned into swing, as cued by the drummer. As the style changed, Riesbyfe became even more focused. She picked up the pace, and began to follow a pattern while playing each downbeat. Her plucking became more obvious and far more louder. A smile gradually appears on her sweating face, as if to say, ‘This is fun.’ and this makes Sion love her even more. 

Many of the customers were enjoying the band, and talking amongst themselves. Whenever Sion could, she watched Ries play away. As the swing section went by, her demeanor changed as she became more concentrated. The bassist's eyebrows creased slightly, and her mouth was slightly agape… her lips…

The cafe worker resumes working quickly. There was no time to let her thoughts drift away while working. Just as the song kept on going, she continued to work as well.

As the tune finished, the audience clapped, and the band gave a smile to all of them. By this point, no one else came in. Once again, luck was on Sion’s side. Many of the workers watched from behind the counter, murmuring among themselves. The purple haired girl comes close to the front, watching from the side. It was a full place that night.

“For our next song, we will be playing Passion Flower. Please enjoy it.” A quick introduction, and then it begins. They all play low and sensually, and the singer serenades the crowd. However, to Sion, it was Ries serenading her, sweetly playing. 

She softly plucks her bass as if she were doing so to Sion’s heartstrings, and the silver maiden gives a loving look to her instrument, almost as if she were to kiss it. Her hands glided to each note, and then she’d strum softly. If the band crescendoed, she’d rise and give a look of concentration. For a brief moment, her blue eyes met Sion’s own eyes, like the purple petals of a passion flower. The cafe worker's cheeks flushed a deep red and her eyes averted the player for a moment. However, Ries’ gaze was only on the worker, but she was just so focused that she ignored the people. She just happened to land her eyes on the worker, though she was conscious of it and would be embarrassed afterwards.

The song ends with the band softly decrescendoing, and the last notes echo throughout the cafe. As the audience claps, Ries could feel the sweat coming down her face towards the end of the song. It was nerve wracking for her, since her hands could slip. Sighing, she thinks to herself, ‘This is going to be a long evening..’, but continues with a focused mind and determined smile. 

Sion heads back to the counter to see if there was anything that was needed to be done, and there was. The night was rather long, but that was ok. Seeing one another after the long summer was worth it all. 

* * *

The night performance came to a close, and Riesbyfe was drowning in sweat. This disgusted her, but she couldn’t complain about it. On the other hand, Sion’s feet were aching, and she was absolutely sure they were covered in bruises by now. Despite the pain and discomfort, both girls hoped that there’d be a moment of respite. This was granted to them.

After making sure nothing else was needed, Sion looked for Riesbyfe, and this was easy. Finding silver hair in a small crowd of sitting people wasn’t terribly hard, so it didn’t take any longer than a minute. The worker’s heart beats fiercely and her slender finger taps the bassist’s shoulder. 

Looking over her shoulder, Ries sees the face she’d been hoping to meet again after all that time. Giving a smile, she turns her whole body and greets Sion excitedly. “Hey! I’m happy to see you again, Sion… um…” Scratching her cheek, the bassist looks into deep violet eyes.

“It’s great to see you too, Riesbyfe,” Returning the smile, Sion speaks softly and says her name slowly - this gave Ries chills down her spine. “I want to apologize about losing your number, it was an accident and I-” 

“Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t your fault, and plus, we got to see each other again! Nothing beats seeing you in person.” Her smile grows even wider, and then she motions Sion to sit next to her. The cafe worker sits next to Riesbyfe, and she feels instant relief in her feet. Letting out a relieved sigh, she becomes less tense, and leans closer to the player. 

There’s a major difference between their first meeting and this one. Riesbyfe didn’t hide her hands from Sion, and they gradually became more comfortable with each other. The cafe hummed with life as they caught up with each other. The past summer was anything but kind to the both of them, but they’d made it this far.

“Riesbyfe, how are your hands doing? Have you been taking care?” Sion could recall their first meeting, where Ries’ hands were marked from the strings, and very rough. This caught the bassist off-guard.

“Ohh, y-yeah, that… I have been taking care of them! I’m totally fine, don’t worry.” Laughing a bit, Ries sweats a little bit. In fact, she was telling the complete opposite. Her hands were far worse than last time, and so she had to put on skin tape if it wasn’t her fingertips. And at this point, calluses were forming all over her right hand, and on her left, her pointer and middle fingers as well. She was hoping Sion wouldn’t ask, but… 

“Give me your hands. I want to see.” Stretching her hands out with a serious face, Sion asks Riesbyfe. The bassist freezes and begins to panic internally. Regrettably and shaking, she gives the cafe worker her hands, her palms facing down.

“H-Here you go.” Ries’ face flushes a tiny bit, and looks away from Sion. The bassist thinks to herself, hoping that Sion wouldn’t get angry, or sad… 

‘Actually, I’d hate to see her sad. I’d rather have her angry…’

“Riesbyfe…. Don’t lie to me like that.” Sion looks at her with worried and creased brows, her lips in a small pout. “I’d rather you tell the truth.” Her hands begin to rub the bassists rough fingertips, and then begins a full out hand massage. This caught Ries off guard, but it was a pleasant surprise. 

“Ahh, sorry. I was just a bit worried that you’d get angry at me, or disappointed--”

“I am disappointed, but that can’t be helped.” Sion sighs before continuing. And for a moment, Riesbyfe thought that the worker was going to completely destroy her… but that wasn't in Sion's calculations; she can't afford to lose her cool over something like this. "If you'd like, I can recommend something for your hands. I've had my share of cracked and dry skin." 

Dishing out her last comment coolly, Sion's face remained calm, but her eyes showed worry. Riesbyfe was surprised at how the girl before her stayed so calm, but she assumed it was due to being in a difficult line of work.

"I-I'd appreciate that a lot… Thank you, Sion. I know we're only met twice, but…" Riesbyfe’s hands firmly grasped Sion’s, and she continued in a low, husky tone. “I feel like… you’re someone I can trust. You’re really level-headed, and super cute too. Even if this is the second time we’ve talked at all, this is what I think of you.” This makes the purple-haired girl’s eyes widen a bit as her cheeks flushed a light pink.

Words came out of Sion’s mouth like water, and she spoke before thinking. “I feel the same way as well, Riesbyfe.” Ries’ heart stopped completely, and she could feel her ears burning fiercely. “I never thought that we’d cross paths again, but it seems like that wasn’t the case. I feel so lucky, Ries.” A small laugh escapes Sion, as her deep and sharp purple eyes look upon the bassist’s soft and fluffy blue orbs. 

After staring into each other’s eyes and savoring each other’s presence, Ries is the first to break the silence. “Sion, let me give you my number right now, and put it in your phone. I don’t want to wait any longer after this.” Taking out her own mobile device, the silver-haired girl motions the cafe worker to take her phone out as well. As they exchanged their numbers, an ecstatic feeling overcame both of them. At last, they’d finally be able to talk to each other without losing anything. 


End file.
